A new federal requirement that kicks in next year will try to remove one of the biggest obstacles facing rape victims. Any state that gets funding under the federal Violence Against Women Act will have to pay for "Jane Doe" rape kits. The kits are used to gather evidence when a woman shows up at the ER. Under the new requirement, the evidence is collected then sealed and given to police without the victim's name, only an ID number. That means evidence can be collected before a victim decides whether or not to press charges. If the victim comes forward, then the kit is opened and the evidence is used.Victim advocates will tell you that often, the victim (I am intentionally not just using the word woman here because men can be raped too) may not decide to press charges until later. By then, the evidence may well be lost.The new requirement applies only to adult victims. Hospitals and doctors must still report incest or abuse involving children to the police.The U.S. Justice Department says that in 2006, 272,350 sexual assaults were reported. But, the Bureau of Justice says, only 41 percent of rapes and other sexual assaults are reported to police.Additional resources:
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